


it's all over but the crying

by weeniewife



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: Breakfast in Bed, Drabble, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Other, Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 08:55:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25966972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weeniewife/pseuds/weeniewife
Summary: Soren wakes up from a dead sleep to a concerned boyfriend, and boyfriend #2 enters to help.
Relationships: Ike/Lay | Ranulf/Senerio | Soren
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17
Collections: apartment au!





	it's all over but the crying

**Author's Note:**

> Technically part of our modern AU where all the FE folks are living in the same complex, but this just features the good ol' OT3 in their own apartment.  
> Thanks for stopping by! <3

Soren woke with a pressure on his chest, ripping him from an otherwise peaceful slumber. His breathing immediately hitched, his panic gripped at his throat, and he found himself unable to will himself to move. It only made it that much worse and he felt he was dying, he felt he was being held down, he felt his life slipping away from him and the air in his lungs being squeezed out until he was gasping for breath. His hands gripped at the neck of his shirt, yanking it down as though it would help. His eyes remained open. His mind was racing far too quickly for him to realize that nothing had happened. Too clouded to see that Ike was clung to him and that in his sleep he had just pulled him a bit too close.

Noting Soren’s rapid breathing, Ike recoiled and released him. He was still gripped by sleep and his voice failed him as he tried to call Soren’s name. It hadn’t happened in so long he almost was afraid he’d hurt his partner somehow; but as Ike began to wake up he understood.

“Soren, it’s just me. You’re safe.” He reached out again to touch Soren’s face, but he yanked himself away. “It’s just me. It’s over. You’re safe.”

“I-I’m fine. Stop talking to me like… like…”

“Can I touch you now?”

“Why are you _asking.”_

“Because you’re overwhelmed. Don’t cry, Soren. It’s just me.”

“Why do you always tell me… when I’m not…” Soren didn’t shy away from Ike’s hand this time, even going to hold it with the both of his own as a confused tear fell onto it.

“It’s okay. We’re together. You’re safe.”

_“Ike.”_

“Are you hungry?”

Usually Soren spoke clearly, able to get his point across with ease. When he resorted to violent shakes of his head, Ike knew it was a bad day and to take it a step at a time.

“It’s not cold in here… are you sure you don’t want something to eat? I can make you breakfast.”

He rose to get out of bed, pulling his hand away. Soren scrambled at it for a moment, but must have realized how desperate he looked and let him go. But he didn’t budge from the bed and stared up wide-eyed at his partner as he woke himself up a bit more.

After a yawn Ike took the blanket they had just been lying under and wrapped Soren up just in case. It might not have been cold, but he _was_ wearing a pretty thin shirt. “Do you want to come with me, or do you want to stay here?”

Soren blinked.

“Okay. I’ll be right back.”

Soren watched Ike leave with wide eyes as though something precious was being stolen away from him. He wanted to cry out and ask for him to return; the knowledge he was alone now gripped too tightly and he remained silent.

Though it felt like hours, almost immediately after Ike left Ranulf padded into the room stretching as though he had also just woken up.

“Hey,” he yawned. “Just tagging in. You okay?”

The laguz wasn’t exactly who he wanted to see walk through the doorway and he made no attempt to hide it in his face. But he didn’t hide away. Soren may have tensed when he climbed into the bed and he could feel it dip, but he didn’t flinch when Ranulf curled around him. In fact, he held out a hand to place in his hair when he was lying down and comfortable - oddly comforting and soft.

A quiet rumble came from the cat as though he was actually being pet, which motivated Soren to do so just a little. They weren’t exactly _close,_ but the proximity since the end of the war and their decision to all run away together brought him to be much more civil than he was before.

And at this point Ranulf had seen Soren both in battle with a tome in his hands and with himself. He had asked no questions and kept his stupid mouth closed… so maybe he wasn’t all that bad.

Surely Ranulf had come up with his own idea of what Soren’s life must have been like thus far, and maybe he’d asked Ike by then. But somehow he knew both partners would respect his privacy, and they knew his history was for Ike’s ears only.

For now.

The cat’s head raised to look at the door, and Soren’s eyes followed his to see Ike balancing a few plates of a rushed, bland breakfast like a waiter at his first dinner rush. Ranulf stirred behind Soren and moved to sit at the edge of the bed and at least take one from Ike’s hands.

Usually there would be comments about eating in bed, either because of the mess or said with a wink - but it wasn’t the time.

Ike returned to his place at Soren’s side, Ranulf still on the foot of the bed though he had turned to face the others. Ike just left the plate in front of Soren, not wanting to force him to do anything.

He stared down at the plate as though he didn’t trust it. He did, of course - if someone other than Ike had slid it to him he likely wouldn’t have at the moment. But Ike would never hurt him. He was the only one that never hadn’t.

So it had to be safe. It was just breakfast, something they all needed. Most important meal of the day or whatever. Usually he _did_ have this issue when either too cold or too hungry and Ike had caught on.

“Thanks.” Soren’s voice cracked but no one drew attention to it. Ike mumbled not to mention it with more bacon in his mouth, while Ranulf let out a soft _mmrrp_ to at least let him know he was acknowledged.

Being in an entirely different world had its perks - he really didn’t need to go anywhere that wasn’t for work, and there were no soldiers or any of Ike’s friends he’d have to face. The bed was warm and cushioned unlike the cold ground or the stiff cots. The air smelled different, the people were more or less worse where they were came from, but everything else was actually alright.

No one knew who they were. They lived mostly anonymously, surrounded only by those they’d chosen to trust with the bare minimum - which were also few. They had _only just_ learned about the laguz and reacted so… positively to the new information. The idea of the races mixing had hardly been brought up. He could say nothing about his brand, and these people would be none the wiser. They’d never know. They would have to _learn_ that it was disgusting, that he was created wrong.

And he knew the boys sharing the bed wouldn’t let that be the idea that was put into their heads if they ever learned.

He finally poked at his food as the realization hit him that everyone likely viewed his brand as some sort of tattoo, maybe a tribal marking from a place they knew nothing about. When he neglected to cover it up and was greeted in the hall, they didn’t look above his eyes with disgust for an unholy wretch or with pity for a boy who must have needed to let a rotting spirit take hold of his soul. If they looked, it was because they were curious. Sure that was still irritating, but he’d take it. No one was going to toss rocks at him if he came too close. No one was going to turn their nose up at him for being an abomination.

And before he knew it, his plate was empty. And he did honestly feel better, even if the food was plain and they hadn’t shared more than a few words. Soren wouldn’t have wanted to talk anyway so it was probably for the best. It was always nice to hear Ike speak in times when tensions were high - but he was also a man of few words and there wasn’t much to say at the moment.

“I’ll take care of this stuff and be right back.”

Ike’s voice really did soothe him; though the fact it was him announcing that he was leaving had the opposite effect. At least he promised to return in the same breath. He took everyone’s plate and stumbled out of the bed, quickly disappearing back into the hallway.

“When he gets back I’ll get out of your hair.” Ranulf stretched his arms out again, getting to the edge of the bed. “Just… making sure everything’s alright. But I know you want your alone time with -”

“…You don’t _have_ to leave.”

“Sure I don’t _have_ to. But after all this, do you really want me to stay? Wouldn’t you rather talk it over with him?”

“You can listen if you want, I guess.”

Ranulf blinked slowly, unsure of what he’d just heard. That was the closest thing to something nice Soren had ever really said to him thus far (out loud) - he couldn’t ruin it by opening his mouth. Of course he would do so anyway, but at least an effort was made.


End file.
